For Collectors of The Sacred, The Metaphysical, The Occult, The Rare & The Strange

JADE 玉

Jade 玉

is considered to be very alive and is a teacher of all things.

Why is Jade Such a Sacred Stone?

Jade jadeite, or “yu” “玉”in Chinese is also known as the “Stone of Heaven”. In humanity’s entire recorded history, there has never existed a more intimate relationship between a culture and a stone than that between the Chinese and jade. To the people of the Middle Kingdom, jade was not simply hardened earth – but, instead, solid magic – a tiny piece of heaven bequeathed by the gods to those of us here on earth. It was literally the link between heaven and earth, the bridge that allowed mortals to cross into immortality. Jade is intrinsically linked to the rise of Chinese culture, from uneducated tribal feudalism. Jade is attributed with a personality that came from heave to earth to refine men in the same way that it refined the albite rocks, into something refined and precious. Jade desires that all men be civilized and refined like itself. It is believed that Jade was instrumental in this stage of global human evolution.

According to local lore, a Yunnan trader traveling through northern Burma picked up a

Jade Miners

boulder to balance the load on his mule. The stone proved to be vivid green jade. Before this the chinese carvers only had a jade with creamy insides combined the toughness of nephrite. Now they had all of those properties with the vivid green of emerald. In 1784, the emperor, Qianlong (1736–96), of the Qing Dynasty (1644–1912) extended Chinese jurisdiction into northern Burma then considerable amounts of jadeite were transported from the mines to Beijing, where the world’s finest jade carvers were located. Each piece is respected as sacred as having its own protective soul that will work along with its owner. Jade can only be lovingly mined by hand which only make it more valuable. Each piece’s colour and texture is believed to have a message and contains ancient stories. Skillful and respectful carving can help the stone find its voice and release its inner meaning.

Chinese culture can be very matriarchal. Like jade, women are considered to have a civilizing effect on men. The amount and quality of jade that a woman wears can display her social standing and how much she is respected and appreciated. It is surprisingly common to see the arms of the woman at the tiller of the junk or the one who is is clearly in control of the market, festooned with bangles of lavender and green.

Jade and Health

Jade has a positive affect on health. It is traditionally associated with health and long life. It is permeable to light and thus has a calming affect when utilized as a meditation tool or when worn close to the body. Chinese medicine it is utilized to It can aid in normalizing arterial blood pressure, softens the walls of the blood vessels and improves blood composition. It works as an EMF filter, shielding the body from he affects of background radiation. TCM recommends it to aid with male potency as well as renal and urethra difficulty. Among its unique features, jade has been shown to be an air purifier and it does not react with acids. However it emits silicone acid which is an anesthetic and anti-inflammatory and a detoxifyer. It also contains many minerals that are beneficial to the human body and this is very beneficial for massage.. It has become a popular alternative to sauna stones because of its positive health benefits.

Jade Protection

The chi of the Jade is believed to actively protect the person who wears it. I often receive inquiries from women who are looking for a new special jade piece to replace the jade they usually wear. Time after time they have described their special piece shattering during a serious accident that should have killed them whilst they walk away with hardly a scratch. They believe that they were not injured because the jade piece gave its “life force chi” to wrap them in its strong energy and protect them. In many of these cases the only thing to break was their jade. Another woman told me about being in the hospital with serious cardiac illness and she was not expected to survive. Right at the moment when the doctor and everyone with her thought she was going to breathe her last, suddenly the lavender jade piece she was always wearing, spontaneously broke in several pieces. She immediately started getting well, and recovered. There are so many stories about jade protecting the person who wears it.

Jade Colours and Traditional Meanings

The most common colour of jade is green. The richer the green the more highly prized. Green jade has energy for healing mind and body, calmness, balance and love. Light green is more yin chi, and darker green is more yang energy. Black jade is actually very dark green and is very yang. Skillful jade carvers try to make each great piece include some black jade to balance and ground its energy, but only a small amount of black. It is very good luck to have a splash of black but not too much. Black jade is used by Tai Chi martial artists, and Qigong, to build up the body’s chi. There is a slight amount of black in this piece and it is considered strong energy.

Jade comes in many colours not just green.

The more rare colors of white, lavender, red, and yellow, often described as “hong”, which are caused by other minerals absorbing into the jade stone. Jade is a natural stone with pores and veins, which allows and moisture and other minerals to seep into itself. This process has allowed the jade to take on its own chi life-force over the millennia and by this process of osmosis it can also share its energy with, and absorb energy from, it human companion. Jade chi helps to balance the body, and the body’s chi flows into the jade. Wearing a jade stimulates acupuncture points and keeps the chi flowing smoothly for health and youthfulness. So when you wear your jade, and know you are wearing a stone that is very personal to your body. If you are healthy and happy, the jade that you wear every day will become more beautiful as you wear it. If you see your jade looking dull or flat, you might want to take extra care of your health. The colour of jade that is worn next to the skin is often reported to change over the years as this energy exchange takes place. Often it lightens from deep green to lighter, then lavender and finally white. This is another reason why lavender jade is so highly prized. as it is believed to be very human and has raised its human’s energy to a rarified place.

Jade is believed to be closely related to the human body, and the jade chi energy and the body’s chi energy flow between each other. Asian people will select a companion piece of jade that they will wear all the time. They will only gift that jade piece to a very special person because they believe that the jade has become part of them and by giving it to a family member or close friend, they are giving a part of themselves. It is considered very lucky to receive a gift of jade. And it’s also very lucky to give a gift of jade. New Year is the best time to give and receive as it is thought to bring good luck for the year, and longer. It is also said to stimulate creativity and mental agility, and enhance one’s health. New Zealand Green Stone or Pounamu, (a form of nephrite, lesser jade,) has a similar role in Māori culture. It is considered a taonga (treasure). Pounamu taonga increase in mana (prestige) as they pass from one generation to another. AS with Chinese Jade cultural pieces, the most prized taonga are those with known histories going back many generations. These are believed to have their own mana and were often given as gifts to seal important agreements. Pounamu only occurs in one shade of deep kaki and has limited translucency.

True Jade is not only beautiful, and translucent but has deep meanings that can enrich your life and balance your body, mind and spirit. Different colors have different types of chi energy:

Lavender as stated above. White jade has the pure energy and helps develop deep wisdom from within, calms the spirit and develops a deep connection with the universe,.

Very”Hong” jade, red/orange color, is dynamic and full of energy. It is utilized for protection, safety, success, confidence, courage and happiness

Yellow jade chi augments happiness, prosperity, and satisfaction in life. The rare creamy yellow, called mutton fat jade, is the most expensive because it augments commerce.

The Rise of Civilization and Jade

The spirit of jade is believed to have taken a personal and protective interest in emperor Chin and helped to culture him, unify and civilize his people and his descendants. Confucius believed that Jade has unified its destiny with the betterment of mankind.

“Wise men,” he wrote, “have seen in jade all the best human virtues.

It is soft, smooth, and shining, like kindness.

It is hard, fine, and strong, like intelligence. I

ts edges seem sharp but do not cut, like justice.

It hangs down to the ground, like humility.

When struck, it gives a clear, ringing sound, like music.

The stains in it which are not hidden and add to its beauty, are like truthfulness.

Its brightness is like heaven,

While its firm substance, born of the mountains and the waters, is like the earth.

The Classic of Poetry says, ‘When I think of a wise man, he seems like jade.’ That is why wise men love jade.”

Confucius was directly quoting Kwan Chung who had written 2 centuries before, that Jade symbolizes to the Chinese eight of the highest attainments of Man:

”In it’s smoothness he recognizes Benevolence,

In it’s high polish – Knowledge,

In it’s unbending firmness – Righteousness,

In it’s modest harmlessness – Virtuous Actions,

In it’s rarity and spotlessness – Purity,

In the way it exposes every flaw – Ingenuousness,

In that it passes from hand to hand without being sullied – Moral Conduct,

And that when struck it gives forth a sweet note that floats sharply and distinctly to a distance – Music.”

So jade appears to be working behind the scenes for 5 centuries before Chin to cultivate and unify the Chinese people.

Know Your Jade Jadite

“Genuine A-grade Jade Jadeite” that is all natural, not enhanced or treated, is known in the trade as “A jade.” The Jadeite showing up on market presently can be classified into A jade, B jade and C jade:

A- jade indicates the natural jadeite without undergoing any artificial treatment, alteration or enhancement. Such a kind of natural jadeite does not change with the passage of time. It can be preserved forever and wears well .

B- Jade is defined as the natural jadeite having undergone a process of acid treatment, removed the impurities and impregnated with colloidal silica or resin. Normally, this kind of jadeite will turn out yellow gradually in 5-10 years of time and then the surface color will come off due to the ageing of resin or colloid. Meanwhile, the composition of inherent texture of jadeite has been destroyed during the acid treatment which affects immediately its durability.